Agent Nebraska (Nari)
Agent Nebraska, or Richard Vanguard, is a member of Project Freelancer. A respected soldier within the project, he was well acquainted with most of the members of the group, but was closest to South Dakota, showing some romantic interest in her. His AI is Digamma and his armor possesses an agility enhancer. Appearance Agent Nebraska doesn't stand out as much of a soldier type. Bearing a wirey frame, he dons a suit of olive green, Mark VI armor with a silver visor. Without his helmet, his hair is styled into a combover on his left eye, colored a shock of yellow. His blue eyes compliment his facial features, which have been described as fairly handsome. Personality This happy-go-lucky Irishman is a natural empath and his easygoing smile always makes others feel at home and thrives on the good vibes of others. He seeks out those who are feeling down and in a matter of minutes can draw out their worries, fears and secrets and lift the weight from their shoulders. After fifteen minutes, you feel like you've known Nebraska all your life. His uncanny ability to read others means he can quickly pick out the nervous, the liar and the ones to trust in any group. He's also the team's weathervein when bad winds blow. He was the first to feel the growing tension and oppressive atmosphere of Project Freelancer's dark path, even if he couldn't put words to it. His inability to filter the almost invasive feelings of others means he strives to keep others safe and happy and trains constantly to do so in the field. His quick tongue and buoyant laughter rubs off, even if accompanied by a slightly blank stare as they struggle to keep up with his thick accent. His dedication to his team means he won't put others in danger or leave them behind even if the mission is in jeopardy. At it's worst, his empathy is debilitating. If a mission breaks down the clouds of panic and hopelessness may overwhelm him and the sight of a fellow Freelancer in pain induces a paralyzing horror. Recruitment into Project Freelancer The Director was determined Project Freelancer would be nothing but the best, soldiers of perfect fitness, training and discipline. The military provided a number of positions, as well as law enforcement and martial arts academies but it was however pure coincidence that he happened upon a mixed martial arts tournament. There he found a wirey young man, darting and dodging and dominating the muscled meat heads of the ring, taunting his rivals and and soaking up the attention of the crowd. Although self control was not his strong suit, his skills as a fighter were undeniable and immediately extended an invitation.hdhdh Abilities Infiltration and Reconnaissance are Nebraska's key contributions to Project Freelancer. It's his job to scout out the enemy before the big missions using his confidence and likeability to make himself one of the gang. Even from light conversation and an easygoing smile can pry everything from patrol patterns to blueprints to security measures, and can sneak out with little more than, 'Hey, has anyone seen Jones?' That said, his hand to hand expertise means that if things go wrong, he can still make a silent escape. Although Nebraska's offensive skills are not as refined as the likes of Carolina and Tex, his innate ability to read his opponent and lightning reflexes are incomparable. Every muscle twitch and sideways glance is a roadmap in neon for his opponents next move. His reflexes are such due to extremely abnormal activity in both his parietal lobe, and amygdala, both parts of the brain that monitor certain types of reflexes. However his empathy makes it difficult to land the hardhitting moves required for the killing blow. Instead he prefers akido like strikes to weave, deflect and turn an enemies strength against him. Realizing his difficulty causing direct pain he has branched out into other forms of combat that distances himself. Although still behind Wyoming and North as a sniper, he has picked up the knack and his McMillan Tac .50 bolt action rifle is never far from his sight, preferring it over more modern rifles. Armor He wears a bright green Mark VI suit with various, if unseen, modifications. His armor originally had a Commander piece on the left shoulder, but it suffered irrepairable damage during a prior mission, and was replaced with a standard Mark VI pauldron. He wears a Mark VI helmet with a silver visor after damage to the original visor forced a replacement. With no standard issue visors left in stock, he designed his own. His armor is showing its age, having had the suit for many years. Scratches and dents adorn the armor, though Nebraska ensured that the A.I. slot stayed undamaged to keep Digamma safe. Armor Enhancement Nebraska was assigned the Agility Enhancement, making the armor more supple and mobile which enhances speed,and equilibrium ensuring a perfect knowledge of its owner in space. However this lighter metal means he's more susceptible to damage and any contact is compounded, upping the stakes in any close combat. It absolutely requires the use of an AI, otherwise the owner's perception and reactions can't cope. AI His AI is Digamma. Digamma represents Anxiety, puts many in mind of Kippling's Mowgli, an erratically glowing jungle girl with feral grin and shaggy hair falling across her eyes that constantly scan the surroundings for danger. She's shy and mistrusting, jumping at the slightest noise. She constantly needs Nebraska's reassuring presence but it's clear that she wears on his state of mind. It was projected that long term exposure to Digamma would cause severe damage to Nebraska's body and mind.